MEETING WITH NKR SPEAKER

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
11 Dec 2006

On December 2 the speaker of the NKR National Assembly Ashot Ghulian
met with a group of representatives of NGOs including people with
disabilities. The meeting was on the occasion of the international
day of the disabled, which is celebrated on December 3. Arevik
Petrossian, chair of the Vita Society of soldiers with back injuries,
and Sergey Beglarian, chair of the Kantegh Society of soldiers who
lost eyesight in the war, appreciated the care of the government,
namely the National Assembly for the needs of the disabled, and
at the same time they presented the problems they are facing and
came up with proposals on solving these problems. In particular,
they mentioned the necessity of establishing a center for disabled
people in Stepanakert, improvement of their houses, setting the size
of benefits and allowances considering individual needs. For his
part, the speaker of the National Assembly assured that the disabled
people as a vulnerable social class are constantly in the focus of
attention of the government. "Your problems worry everyone, and are
the priorities of the social policy of the government," he said,
confirming the willingness of the National Assembly and the other
branches of power to help settle the problems raised by the NGOs of
the disabled.